The second part was told to me by the doctor reading the charts from that testing.

He said that with neuropathy, many diabetics have [minor] heart attacks and don't know it.

Then he said that I had definitely had a [probably minor] heart attack sometime in the past (he didn't know when) even though I didn't know I had it.

Anyone confirm that diabetics can have a heart attack and not be aware of it? He said that diabetics should be checked for this every 1 to 3 years.

I was aware that we are more likely to have a heart attack, but hadn't heard about neuropathy causing the possibility of having one and not knowing it.Wife: Liz, the choice of a lifetimeDogs: Koshka & Chomp

That happened to my Dad a few years ago. He had a doctor's appointment booked for an afternoon (diabetes related) and left the house a couple of hours early to run some errands. He said he felt kind of a 'bump' in his chest, shrugged it off and continued on to Wal-Mart. When he finally got to his appointment and told the doctor about it, the doctor immediately checked him into the hospital. It was a minor attack but still an attack.~ Diagnosed Type 2 in July/'08~ Dropped 35 or so pounds after following HealingWell advice~ Diabetes under control / no meds - so far - knock on head~ My doctor thinks HE is responsible (Don't tell him! He's happy ;)

Hey Tony...since you also have CP issues I have a question for you. I have had numbness and tingling in my legs for a long time now...recently I've noticed my middle toes going numb and it's creeping up my shin..My PM Dr. is doing an EMG on Monday on bothe legs to see if it's from my back problems or the Diabetes... Could it have been from the Diabetes all these years? I mean I wasn't diagnosed with Diabetes until last month, but I've had severe back problems for years...What do you think?

Me.

We are all in the same boat...unfortunatley it seems like it's sinking...

My father in law had two major coronaries and only had shortness of breath, no pain. He actually had a quintuple bypass and took no pain meds at all post surgically. The doctor was not surprised. Said he's seen it often in diabetic patients. Dad had his staples from the open heart surgery removed and never even flinched. Very strange... He eventually died from his third heart attack. Went to take a nap, not feeling well, and passed. He taught me so many things NOT to do with diabetes so his life was not in vain...~ Jeannie, Forum Moderator/Diabetes & FibromyalgiaI know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. ~Mother Teresa

"People are like stained glass windows: They sparkle and shine when the sun's out, butwhen the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light within."- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Uniquely: numbness and/or tingling could easily have been Diabetes. I had it creeping quite some time before I got tested and confirmed on the neuropathy. Until the tests, there really is no way to know. The neuropathy I think shows up at the back half of the diabetes, but I'm honestly not sure of that either. When it hit me it hit hard the night before and weeks after surgery to dig out infection. I was scheduled to be on the operating table at 6am, and I awoke screaming at 2am and that is when it started. Up until then I had more tingling/numbness in my LEFT foot/lower leg; NO MAJOR PAIN. That morning it hit in the RIGHT footl where the surgery was scheduled. And it kept killing me in the right foot. Luckily the doctor believed me when I told her how badly my foot hurt and she prescribed 90 hydrocodone, UP TO 6/DAY AS NEEDED. And then the search began. The search? "Here is the directory; why don't you pick out a pain clinic and see if you can get an appointment." That was my PCP talking and it was PURE LUCK I picked the one I did.

Long AND short -> get that testing done. it is the only way you are going to know.

Sorry about how long it took to answer this. I forgot about this thread in the meantime.

What do I do now for the neuropathy & pain? Nothing I CAN do, as far as I know. Keep meeting with the PM, and see what they have up their collective sleeves, I guess. I understand that eventually either the morphine or methadone will wear down and I'll become inured to them/it and have to raise the dosage(s). As I write this I am getting pain twinges and even some REALLY SHARP breakthrough spots. I'm hoping that is normal for what I am dealing with. Otherwise, I have a normal constant of around 5 on the pain chart, especially when walking. But it isn't a whole lot different when sitting or driving for that matter. At least I'm not at 7 or 8 or 9 as some others are reporting. I figure I have a LOT to be thankful for, overall.Wife: Liz, the choice of a lifetimeDogs: Koshka & Chomp<-- Click to Get Prayer